Whether you are just starting an internship program or you have one already, discover the key qualities that make interns thrive, learn how internship programs can shape future leaders, and explore innovative approaches to foster a culture of continuous learning and development. We'll share tips on creating challenging projects that elevate interns to showcase their leadership potential.

Resources:

MRA Membership 

About MRA 

Intern Program

MRA's 2024 Internship Leadership Program Calendar

Recruiting

Let's Connect:

Courtney’s email

Courtney’s LinkedIn profile

Transcript

00:00:00:01 - 00:00:05:13Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything

00:00:05:13 - 00:00:09:22and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association.

00:00:09:24 - 00:00:12:24Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR?

00:00:12:24 - 00:00:14:19MRA has got you covered.

00:00:14:19 - 00:00:17:17We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not.

00:00:17:17 - 00:00:21:04I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.

00:00:21:05 - 00:00:22:21Now it's time to thrive.

00:00:22:21 - 00:00:26:16Hello, everybody, and welcome to 30 Minute Thrive.

00:00:26:18 - 00:00:29:24Today we're going to be talking about the ins and outs of internships.

00:00:30:03 - 00:00:34:15So if you're looking to start an internship program at your organization,

00:00:34:21 - 00:00:37:17or maybe you have one started already, but you're looking to make it

00:00:37:17 - 00:00:41:13even more successful, it's a good thing you're here today with us

00:00:41:13 - 00:00:46:04because we're joined by Courtney Lamers, MRA, senior manager of member Engagement

00:00:46:10 - 00:00:50:08and MRA's Intern Leadership program organizer.

00:00:50:10 - 00:00:54:10So Courtney's really here to help organizations

00:00:54:10 - 00:00:58:04not only design and implement an internship program,

00:00:58:04 - 00:01:02:17but also help develop existing ones into successful programs.

00:01:02:19 - 00:01:06:06And having been an intern myself at Emory,

00:01:06:08 - 00:01:09:21I love this topic, and I'm really excited to talk about it.

00:01:09:21 - 00:01:12:11So, Courtney, let's start.

00:01:12:11 - 00:01:14:24Start from the top here.

00:01:14:24 - 00:01:18:22Those who have never implemented an internship program before.

00:01:18:24 - 00:01:23:22What are some of the key starting factors that a company would really need?

00:01:23:24 - 00:01:24:13Absolutely.

00:01:24:13 - 00:01:27:05Great question. And thank you for having me today.

00:01:27:05 - 00:01:27:13You know,

00:01:27:13 - 00:01:27:23it really

00:01:27:23 - 00:01:31:16is that time of the year where everyone is reaching out about internships.

00:01:31:16 - 00:01:35:09And it's been exciting to hear from a lot of companies that are just

00:01:35:10 - 00:01:37:05beginning their internship journey.

00:01:37:05 - 00:01:40:14So I think it's going to be a really fun summer and I'm super

00:01:40:14 - 00:01:43:14excited for all of you that have interns.

00:01:43:20 - 00:01:46:08I think those that have had interns have really found it

00:01:46:08 - 00:01:50:02valuable and continue to see that year over year.

00:01:50:04 - 00:01:53:12And so I'm really excited for all of those companies that are starting it.

00:01:53:14 - 00:01:56:04I think that's a great question to start with, just because we do

00:01:56:04 - 00:01:59:21see a lot of companies that are starting internship program.

00:01:59:23 - 00:02:03:21And I would say the key in starting an internship program

00:02:04:02 - 00:02:07:04and there's a lot of things that go into it, but one of the most important

00:02:07:04 - 00:02:10:24things is making sure that you have the correct manager

00:02:11:01 - 00:02:15:18and managers in place to support and intern support their experience

00:02:15:18 - 00:02:17:00as a whole,

00:02:17:00 - 00:02:18:11and be able to have some of those

00:02:18:11 - 00:02:21:16difficult conversation zones where I think we see with companies,

00:02:21:16 - 00:02:27:01a lot of times managers will come and say, I really want an intern,

00:02:27:03 - 00:02:30:23but if that manager may not have the culture in the department,

00:02:30:23 - 00:02:31:20that character may not

00:02:31:20 - 00:02:35:17necessarily be equipped with the tools to be a great manager for an intern.

00:02:35:19 - 00:02:40:02Someone companies are having those conversations, so I think manager buy in

00:02:40:02 - 00:02:43:12and understanding of what it really takes to have an intern is huge.

00:02:43:12 - 00:02:47:22I think like any new employee, I think interns

00:02:47:22 - 00:02:52:23take a little bit of extra time and really supporting that experience

00:02:52:23 - 00:02:57:00from mentorship and coaching and giving them opportunities.

00:02:57:00 - 00:03:00:01There is a little bit of additional work

00:03:00:03 - 00:03:01:14for an intern, so

00:03:01:14 - 00:03:05:15I think we see companies that have super successful intern programs

00:03:05:15 - 00:03:09:22and what you see behind those are managers and companies that have complete buy in.

00:03:09:22 - 00:03:13:07So I think honestly, before you even get to the manager piece,

00:03:13:08 - 00:03:17:16you need to think about and talk with your leadership team and understand

00:03:17:16 - 00:03:22:15that there is a buy in needed and an investment honestly,

00:03:22:15 - 00:03:28:11between both time and money and what goes into a great experience.

00:03:28:12 - 00:03:31:08So I think, you know, really the buy in is the first step

00:03:31:08 - 00:03:35:07and then there are a lot of steps along the way to get to that manager piece.

00:03:35:07 - 00:03:38:04But I think that is so key.

00:03:38:04 - 00:03:40:05Just kind of starting about with the whole experience.

00:03:40:05 - 00:03:42:20So obviously once you have the manager buy in, that's huge.

00:03:42:20 - 00:03:44:22Or leadership by an excuse me.

00:03:44:22 - 00:03:48:06And then I think really think about why you're having an intern.

00:03:48:06 - 00:03:54:04You know, I think in the past interns have historically been added

00:03:54:04 - 00:03:57:12to a team to help with some of those, you know, daily tasks

00:03:57:12 - 00:04:00:12and some of those things that can be taken off of other people's plates.

00:04:00:12 - 00:04:03:20But we see a lot of companies that are looking to hire

00:04:03:20 - 00:04:06:20interns for a long term perspective.

00:04:06:21 - 00:04:11:01So one from a brand awareness standpoint, these interns are going back to

00:04:11:01 - 00:04:14:01and talking to their friends on campus

00:04:14:01 - 00:04:16:23and even on social media about their experience as a whole.

00:04:16:23 - 00:04:21:05So those you know, word of mouth brand, ambassador pieces is a huge part of it.

00:04:21:05 - 00:04:24:20And we also see interns a lot as their town supply chain.

00:04:24:20 - 00:04:26:20So really trying to hang on to those interns.

00:04:26:20 - 00:04:28:19So just really understanding the why.

00:04:28:19 - 00:04:32:07What's the purpose of your program and then putting some of those structural

00:04:32:07 - 00:04:37:11pieces around to support the intern throughout the length of their internship.

00:04:37:13 - 00:04:38:10And then, of course,

00:04:38:10 - 00:04:42:09thinking about what are those elements that make this an experience as a whole?

00:04:42:09 - 00:04:44:18So of course there's the work component of it,

00:04:44:18 - 00:04:48:15but what mentorship opportunities, what networking, professional development,

00:04:48:17 - 00:04:50:24all of that staff to provide this great experience.

00:04:50:24 - 00:04:54:07So the interns really want to either

00:04:54:08 - 00:04:57:09say at your organization or go back and tell their friends all about it.

00:04:57:09 - 00:05:02:01So long winded way of saying like, there's a lot of pieces to get started.

00:05:02:03 - 00:05:05:09But the most important one, just having that manager

00:05:05:11 - 00:05:07:07really be there to support their interns.

00:05:07:07 - 00:05:08:15Sorry that as long you continue to hear.

00:05:08:15 - 00:05:13:14Question So there's a lot that goes into starting an internship program,

00:05:13:14 - 00:05:17:22and like you said before, even thinking about it, it's the whole planning process

00:05:17:22 - 00:05:21:14and evaluating why am I having interns

00:05:21:16 - 00:05:24:15who at the company can manage the interns

00:05:24:15 - 00:05:30:16and has the capacity to do that, and then it's also thinking about like

00:05:30:18 - 00:05:31:21some companies may

00:05:31:21 - 00:05:34:21have one intern, but some may have 30.

00:05:34:21 - 00:05:35:16So it's like,

00:05:35:16 - 00:05:40:14how do you split that up between managers and and roles and stuff like that?

00:05:40:16 - 00:05:43:04But once you have that plan

00:05:43:04 - 00:05:47:01in place, like you were talking about, even then, even if you already

00:05:47:01 - 00:05:51:00have a great internship program developed, how do you find the interns?

00:05:51:00 - 00:05:56:18I think that's a huge question, like recruiting best practices.

00:05:56:20 - 00:06:01:20Do you have any suggestions on where to find interns, when to find interns?

00:06:01:20 - 00:06:05:00I know now is a great time to start talking about it,

00:06:05:00 - 00:06:08:23but just looking for any best practices you might have there.

00:06:09:00 - 00:06:09:21Yeah, absolutely.

00:06:09:21 - 00:06:13:03Shameless plug for companies Recruiting services team.

00:06:13:05 - 00:06:13:23They really do

00:06:13:23 - 00:06:18:17all of their recruiting for interns, so they are a great resource to tap.

00:06:18:17 - 00:06:21:21But I would say we see

00:06:21:21 - 00:06:26:00a lot of interns get hired from networking and schools.

00:06:26:00 - 00:06:30:02We just had a hot topic survey not too long ago

00:06:30:02 - 00:06:33:15and I think like 87% of our respondents have that.

00:06:33:20 - 00:06:38:04They find their interns and they have a lot of great luck by

00:06:38:06 - 00:06:41:04going to job fairs at universities and colleges

00:06:41:04 - 00:06:45:21and just different locations where they're able to network with people.

00:06:45:23 - 00:06:48:14I would also say share it out to your LinkedIn page.

00:06:48:14 - 00:06:49:14You know,

00:06:49:14 - 00:06:54:17I think we see a lot of interns get hired because of connections they have.

00:06:54:17 - 00:06:55:06And I

00:06:55:06 - 00:06:59:00you know, I get we'll find out something about MRA's intern leadership program

00:06:59:00 - 00:07:02:22and I'll get people come back and say like, well, I don't have

00:07:03:02 - 00:07:05:07an intern at my company, but I do have a daughter

00:07:05:07 - 00:07:07:17that's looking for an internship or a niece or a nephew.

00:07:07:17 - 00:07:10:18And I'm always willing to help pair that.

00:07:10:18 - 00:07:12:23So you just never know who is going to see some of that.

00:07:12:23 - 00:07:15:23But like I said, I think for the most part,

00:07:16:02 - 00:07:18:18people have a lot of luck getting in front of the universities,

00:07:18:18 - 00:07:21:23the colleges and being on campus in front of the next generation

00:07:21:23 - 00:07:26:02of talent and just from a brand awareness standpoint, there's always a benefit

00:07:26:02 - 00:07:27:15there, too.

00:07:27:15 - 00:07:31:09As far as timing, you know, I think we've seen it

00:07:31:11 - 00:07:35:20be done successfully at various times throughout the year.

00:07:35:22 - 00:07:36:23You know,

00:07:36:23 - 00:07:40:14we are seeing a lot of companies now that are ramping up for summer internship.

00:07:40:14 - 00:07:44:16So they are starting to just  find their interns.

00:07:44:16 - 00:07:48:06Now, we do recommend a little bit earlier than now at this point of the year.

00:07:48:06 - 00:07:52:23We'll see some of the schools and the organizations

00:07:52:23 - 00:07:57:02that have bigger internship programs are starting right after the summer.

00:07:57:02 - 00:08:01:03So they're starting in September hiring all the way for the next summer.

00:08:01:03 - 00:08:03:15And I mean, it's a lot of work to fill.

00:08:03:15 - 00:08:08:1535 internships or however many there are, but a lot of the career

00:08:08:16 - 00:08:12:00offers happen early in the fall and again in the spring.

00:08:12:00 - 00:08:13:15So just kind of thinking,

00:08:13:15 - 00:08:16:21being strategic about that, it doesn't mean you have to start in the fall.

00:08:16:23 - 00:08:19:20People have a lot of great luck in the spring,

00:08:19:20 - 00:08:22:01so definitely an option to.

00:08:22:01 - 00:08:26:04But as far as best practices, I would also say think about your job

00:08:26:04 - 00:08:29:22description and your job ad and you don't have to put

00:08:29:22 - 00:08:33:18every single detail, every single project that they're going to be working on.

00:08:33:18 - 00:08:37:23But some highlight some of those main responsibilities,

00:08:37:23 - 00:08:39:24of course, but then some of those fun things too.

00:08:39:24 - 00:08:41:10So like, for example,

00:08:41:10 - 00:08:45:06we have a company that's participating in the Intern Leadership Program program

00:08:45:06 - 00:08:49:10that I'm a grant offers, and they put that as part of their job description

00:08:49:12 - 00:08:52:23in every single one of their interns

00:08:53:00 - 00:08:55:01that they ended up hiring have said

00:08:55:01 - 00:08:57:15they had to ask the question, like, Why did you apply for this internship?

00:08:57:15 - 00:08:59:24And they also had the intern leadership program.

00:08:59:24 - 00:09:02:24So some of that professional development that's part of that intern

00:09:02:24 - 00:09:06:01program can be part of the the job at that job description.

00:09:06:01 - 00:09:09:19So some of those fun key elements in showcasing the mentorship

00:09:09:19 - 00:09:12:09and networking opportunities that they're going to have.

00:09:12:09 - 00:09:13:19And also I would just say

00:09:13:19 - 00:09:17:04if there's an opportunity for them to learn the business as a whole,

00:09:17:04 - 00:09:21:00put some of that stuff in your job ads as well.

00:09:21:00 - 00:09:25:03I think interns in general are just trying to gain as much experience

00:09:25:03 - 00:09:26:04and knowledge as they can.

00:09:26:04 - 00:09:29:04So if they see that in your job description, in your job ad,

00:09:29:07 - 00:09:32:06I think that's going to be a huge draw for them.

00:09:32:08 - 00:09:32:23Absolutely.

00:09:32:23 - 00:09:37:16I was going to say you're trying to attract these interns like a new employee.

00:09:37:16 - 00:09:43:12So like like you said, be creative and show off what flexible arrangements

00:09:43:12 - 00:09:46:12you may have something that's going to attract

00:09:46:14 - 00:09:49:21an intern to work for your organization.

00:09:49:23 - 00:09:54:16Well, those are the things that we hear about from the interns, is

00:09:54:18 - 00:09:57:09they like I mean, they like the flexibility, of course.

00:09:57:09 - 00:09:59:08But I think some of the struggle is

00:09:59:08 - 00:10:03:06they really want to learn from others and be mentored.

00:10:03:08 - 00:10:07:08And it's really hard to do that if they're coming into the office,

00:10:07:08 - 00:10:09:14which they a lot of them have shown that

00:10:09:14 - 00:10:12:24they want to come into the office for that mentorship opportunity.

00:10:13:01 - 00:10:14:04But if they're coming in

00:10:14:04 - 00:10:17:23and nobody else is in the office, that can be a really challenging thing too.

00:10:17:23 - 00:10:20:17So if you are able to express

00:10:20:17 - 00:10:24:18what those mentorship opportunities and those learning opportunities are, that

00:10:24:19 - 00:10:30:23I think is a great way for them to like, really understand how that could happen.

00:10:31:00 - 00:10:33:03And the other thing just kind of going back to,

00:10:33:03 - 00:10:36:00you know, the timing of hiring interns,

00:10:36:00 - 00:10:38:17we've seen a lot more in the last year

00:10:38:17 - 00:10:42:17to of companies that are hiring interns and then

00:10:42:19 - 00:10:45:22they're struggling to retain them, even to start their internship.

00:10:45:22 - 00:10:48:22So, you know, you have to find that balance of

00:10:49:01 - 00:10:51:21hiring them early enough, but then also keeping them engaged.

00:10:51:21 - 00:10:54:06So if you do hire them in January,

00:10:54:06 - 00:10:57:22that's still another five or six months until they start their internship.

00:10:57:24 - 00:11:00:10So just think about how you're going to keep them engaged

00:11:00:10 - 00:11:02:19and excited about your internship experience.

00:11:02:19 - 00:11:05:18You know, we typically we've seen some data

00:11:05:18 - 00:11:09:01and we recommend, you know, every three weeks that you're reaching out

00:11:09:03 - 00:11:13:09or three to every three weeks, you're reaching out to those interns,

00:11:13:11 - 00:11:16:05you know, with some type of communication, whether it's

00:11:16:05 - 00:11:19:23their managers are reaching out, whether it's different people on the team,

00:11:19:23 - 00:11:23:16HR Sharing company newsletters, all of that stuff to keep them engaged

00:11:23:22 - 00:11:26:04so they're not like i still have this internship.

00:11:26:04 - 00:11:28:18I haven't heard from them in a couple of months. Like, what's going on here?

00:11:28:18 - 00:11:32:17So just keeping them excited and engaged is important too.

00:11:32:19 - 00:11:35:23Yeah, absolutely. Those are all great points.

00:11:36:00 - 00:11:36:15Let's say you have

00:11:36:15 - 00:11:39:15your group of hired interns. Now.

00:11:39:17 - 00:11:44:14What steps are really taken then to integrate them into the company's work

00:11:44:14 - 00:11:47:23environment and to kind of

00:11:48:00 - 00:11:51:15what does the onboarding process look like for them?

00:11:51:17 - 00:11:53:23Yeah, I think, you know, that's a great question.

00:11:53:23 - 00:11:57:00And I would say I would just start

00:11:57:00 - 00:12:00:09by looking at what your current onboarding process is for any new hire.

00:12:00:09 - 00:12:03:19I mean, a lot of that will pertain to them as well.

00:12:03:21 - 00:12:07:08But then looking at what additional pieces are you going to add?

00:12:07:10 - 00:12:10:15Again, I think less the internship experience really is

00:12:10:20 - 00:12:12:09what I just had an experience.

00:12:12:09 - 00:12:15:17So what are you doing for them on day one

00:12:15:17 - 00:12:18:21to really provide that impact and get them excited for the summer?

00:12:18:21 - 00:12:20:19Obviously there are some major

00:12:20:19 - 00:12:21:13things that you just have

00:12:21:13 - 00:12:24:17to take care of on day one, but what swag are you giving them?

00:12:24:17 - 00:12:28:08Are you buying them lunch or are they getting to meet with a lot of people?

00:12:28:10 - 00:12:31:20You know, I think day one really should be about building some of that excitement.

00:12:32:01 - 00:12:37:02But then how are they learning and growing throughout their entire summer?

00:12:37:02 - 00:12:40:11And what is that learning plan and onboarding look like beyond day

00:12:40:11 - 00:12:43:14one and how to integrate them within the organization?

00:12:43:14 - 00:12:45:11And of course, every company is different.

00:12:45:11 - 00:12:47:06And what they need to know.

00:12:47:06 - 00:12:51:03But I would just really recommend that you look at your own current

00:12:51:03 - 00:12:54:22onboarding process, how to even enhance that even a little bit further,

00:12:54:22 - 00:12:58:14like knowing that this a lot of them this might be their first real

00:12:58:19 - 00:13:00:03job in the workplace

00:13:00:03 - 00:13:03:17and how do you help them feel comfortable and navigate some of those,

00:13:03:19 - 00:13:08:04you know, nuances or things that people you assume people just know

00:13:08:04 - 00:13:12:00by being in the workplace and even just like dress code.

00:13:12:00 - 00:13:14:17I know that's not the most exciting thing, but like,

00:13:14:17 - 00:13:17:05you know, we've had a lot of companies say

00:13:17:07 - 00:13:19:00our interns don't even know what our dress code is.

00:13:19:00 - 00:13:22:20And, you know, you forget that sometimes this is their first real job.

00:13:22:20 - 00:13:24:05So having to help them out.

00:13:24:05 - 00:13:26:13And honestly, the earlier, the better.

00:13:26:13 - 00:13:29:23That can be something you can communicate even before they start.

00:13:29:23 - 00:13:31:04So I think really just

00:13:31:04 - 00:13:33:07how do you assimilate them with your organization

00:13:33:07 - 00:13:36:19and your best practices within your company and how they can,

00:13:36:24 - 00:13:40:11you know, feel comfortable and be set up for success from the beginning?

00:13:40:13 - 00:13:41:19You know, I look at it.

00:13:41:19 - 00:13:45:04So if you when you were an intern, which was, you know, a while ago now, but,

00:13:45:06 - 00:13:48:06you know, you texted me and your manager at

00:13:48:06 - 00:13:51:18the time was like, hey, like we're about a week and a half out.

00:13:51:18 - 00:13:52:15Like what?

00:13:52:15 - 00:13:54:00You know, what is the dress code?

00:13:54:00 - 00:13:55:02And we're like, my gosh.

00:13:55:02 - 00:13:58:00Like, how did we not even tell her about? Like, that's a great question.

00:13:58:00 - 00:14:00:21You know, like, you're just trying to be set up for success.

00:14:00:21 - 00:14:05:08So any of those things that might be on their minds just let those know upfront.

00:14:05:08 - 00:14:08:08And I think also just a side note of that, it's like

00:14:08:09 - 00:14:10:11make sure they have your phone number so they can text you

00:14:10:11 - 00:14:12:09those questions and encourage them to do that.

00:14:12:09 - 00:14:14:12Because like when you text us, we were like,

00:14:14:12 - 00:14:16:20my gosh, like, of course, how do we not even think about that?

00:14:16:20 - 00:14:20:08And obviously it was on your mind because you sent us a message.

00:14:20:10 - 00:14:24:19Yeah, that's funny because I was going to bring that up as an example here.

00:14:24:21 - 00:14:28:06Just showing the importance of onboarding in the interim

00:14:28:06 - 00:14:32:24because like you said, a lot of the time an internship is

00:14:33:00 - 00:14:36:19maybe somebody's first real life kind of job experience.

00:14:36:19 - 00:14:42:00So the onboarding process is just as important, as important,

00:14:42:00 - 00:14:44:08if not the most important stuff, in my opinion.

00:14:44:08 - 00:14:46:08Just because you want to

00:14:46:08 - 00:14:50:05make that group first impression and get them excited on day one.

00:14:50:07 - 00:14:54:15And yeah, I think for my experience

00:14:54:17 - 00:14:59:04I felt comfortable to text you guys and say, Hey, like

00:14:59:06 - 00:15:03:02we're a couple days away from first day, what's the dress code?

00:15:03:04 - 00:15:04:14But then I also remember

00:15:04:14 - 00:15:07:00feeling very comfortable when I first walked in

00:15:07:00 - 00:15:09:09because I got to meet everyone at the company.

00:15:09:09 - 00:15:12:19There is a swag like gift

00:15:12:19 - 00:15:15:19bag or laid all over my desk.

00:15:15:19 - 00:15:19:00Just the process of day one one. Awesome.

00:15:19:00 - 00:15:23:06And I remember also being in the car because

00:15:23:08 - 00:15:28:11you and my manager took me out to lunch and I remember like taking a picture,

00:15:28:11 - 00:15:33:00a selfie in the backseat, and I'm like, Mom would be taking me out to lunch.

00:15:33:00 - 00:15:34:23And I had my name tag.

00:15:34:23 - 00:15:38:02But it is the little things that make the day

00:15:38:02 - 00:15:41:04one experience and it gets I don't know, it made me excited.

00:15:41:04 - 00:15:44:10Hey, to come back day two and like, what's day two going to look like?

00:15:44:10 - 00:15:46:06What stage three gonna look like?

00:15:46:06 - 00:15:49:20So kind of like continuously sparking

00:15:49:20 - 00:15:53:15that excitement to make make the experience great.

00:15:53:17 - 00:15:58:09And it was also I mean, I think that's so true.

00:15:58:09 - 00:16:02:03And you know, I think you start to take some of those things for granted

00:16:02:04 - 00:16:03:09like a business card,

00:16:03:09 - 00:16:07:11a name tag, like, you know, you've been in in the business world for a while.

00:16:07:11 - 00:16:08:06And, you know,

00:16:08:06 - 00:16:10:03I think business cards were such a big deal

00:16:10:03 - 00:16:12:18when I got them for the first time was like, my gosh, she's an intern.

00:16:12:18 - 00:16:13:22I have business cards.

00:16:13:22 - 00:16:16:06And it was like giving them to my family members.

00:16:16:06 - 00:16:19:08And it's like, you know, it's such a little thing, but it really does.

00:16:19:08 - 00:16:22:08You're like, my gosh, like I'm an adult now, you know?

00:16:22:09 - 00:16:25:19So I think, like you said, it's all about those little experiences.

00:16:26:00 - 00:16:26:11Yeah.

00:16:26:11 - 00:16:31:17And just to add on to that, to I know we talked about going out to lunch

00:16:31:17 - 00:16:36:01or doing something special, but even if you have virtual interns

00:16:36:01 - 00:16:39:06or remote interns, which I think is kind of

00:16:39:08 - 00:16:41:21becoming the new normal, almost,

00:16:41:21 - 00:16:44:21you can still do those special things.

00:16:44:21 - 00:16:46:13Maybe you send them a gift card on day

00:16:46:13 - 00:16:51:05one to go grab something for lunch or maybe do a virtual lunch with them.

00:16:51:05 - 00:16:54:10So we were talking about our experience in person,

00:16:54:10 - 00:16:58:18but this can definitely apply virtually to Absolutely for sure.

00:16:58:21 - 00:17:02:13I mean, I think gift cards, just DoorDash and something to their door,

00:17:02:15 - 00:17:03:18There's a lot of there's

00:17:03:18 - 00:17:07:14a lot of creative things out there that companies are doing, for sure.

00:17:07:16 - 00:17:08:07Yeah.

00:17:08:07 - 00:17:09:22So next step here now

00:17:09:22 - 00:17:13:15we talk about recruiting interns, kind of whole planning process.

00:17:13:17 - 00:17:17:11So let's say your internship program is established.

00:17:17:13 - 00:17:21:21How would you really ensure its sustainability and what strategies

00:17:21:24 - 00:17:25:01would you employ for the continuous improvement

00:17:25:01 - 00:17:29:09based on feedback and just industry trends?

00:17:29:11 - 00:17:31:04Yeah, I mean, I always saw companies

00:17:31:04 - 00:17:33:15like don't be afraid to just ask your interns

00:17:33:15 - 00:17:35:14what they're thinking and ask for feedback.

00:17:35:14 - 00:17:36:23You know,

00:17:36:23 - 00:17:41:16I think some interns are more comfortable than others about giving their feedback,

00:17:41:16 - 00:17:45:17but I think, you know, even just a full survey every week

00:17:45:17 - 00:17:49:14or every other week, whether it comes from HR Or the hiring manager,

00:17:49:16 - 00:17:51:19just giving them an opportunity to share

00:17:51:19 - 00:17:54:19what's on their mind and what recommendations they have.

00:17:54:20 - 00:17:58:24We see a lot of companies that typically do you know what is known

00:17:58:24 - 00:18:01:19as an exit interview where they're just asking for feedback

00:18:01:19 - 00:18:05:13and the amount of times companies say like, wow, that was such a simple thing.

00:18:05:13 - 00:18:07:22We could have implemented that if we knew.

00:18:07:22 - 00:18:12:08So we're even seeing companies that are doing poll surveys like I

00:18:12:08 - 00:18:17:04mentioned, or a couple of weeks in, like how was your first month on the job?

00:18:17:04 - 00:18:21:08Is there anything else we can do to support you in For the most part, and

00:18:21:08 - 00:18:25:03HR Has reported, at least from the groups that i've talked with,

00:18:25:05 - 00:18:27:12they're getting really good feedback from their interns,

00:18:27:12 - 00:18:29:19and they're like some of the things are so small

00:18:29:19 - 00:18:32:15that we can just implement right away, and some of them are bigger picture

00:18:32:15 - 00:18:35:15that we can take, you know, in a white company. Why?

00:18:35:15 - 00:18:39:03And so I got to just talk to them, see how they're doing, and give them

00:18:39:09 - 00:18:43:12an opportunity in a safe space to have those conversations.

00:18:43:14 - 00:18:45:15I would also just say,

00:18:45:15 - 00:18:48:15talking to other companies and reading more on best practices

00:18:48:15 - 00:18:50:15about what other companies are doing,

00:18:50:15 - 00:18:52:10there's a lot of great information out there.

00:18:52:10 - 00:18:57:11You know, of course, we have our roundtables and internships

00:18:57:11 - 00:19:00:21typically come up in a lot of the different roundtables.

00:19:00:21 - 00:19:02:09So just being able to hear

00:19:02:09 - 00:19:06:02what cool things other companies are doing are a great way to benchmark,

00:19:06:04 - 00:19:09:03you know, what your program looks like and what you're providing to your interns

00:19:09:03 - 00:19:10:00and even just spark

00:19:10:00 - 00:19:14:16some additional ideas and, you know, help bounce ideas off of each other as well.

00:19:14:18 - 00:19:16:00Yeah, for sure.

00:19:16:00 - 00:19:19:15So we've talked about the importance of continuous

00:19:19:15 - 00:19:22:22learning and skill development with interns.

00:19:22:24 - 00:19:25:14So how do you really foster a culture

00:19:25:14 - 00:19:30:19of that continuous learning with your internship programs?

00:19:30:21 - 00:19:34:08And I guess how do you kind of encourage interns

00:19:34:08 - 00:19:41:21to stay updated on industry trends and kind of want to acquire new skills?

00:19:41:23 - 00:19:45:24Yeah, You know, when you sent this to me in advance, I was looking through this

00:19:45:24 - 00:19:51:19and I was thinking a lot of  a lot of the term culture of continuous

00:19:51:22 - 00:19:56:09learning and continuous professional development mindset.

00:19:56:11 - 00:19:59:19And at first when I started reading the question, I was like,

00:19:59:21 - 00:20:04:07I was thinking about it from a manager and culture standpoint beyond the intern.

00:20:04:07 - 00:20:08:07And I think, well, we hear from companies and managers is they learn so much

00:20:08:07 - 00:20:11:12and get a whole different perspective by bringing in the interns.

00:20:11:14 - 00:20:12:18So part of that is like when you're

00:20:12:18 - 00:20:15:04building the intern program from the beginning,

00:20:15:04 - 00:20:18:10you're setting expectations of your company and your culture of we're

00:20:18:10 - 00:20:22:15bringing these interns in to do real work, make a real impact,

00:20:22:17 - 00:20:25:09and kind of setting that up from the beginning and be open minded.

00:20:25:09 - 00:20:26:13So they're not just here to do

00:20:26:13 - 00:20:30:21some of the dirty work, if you will, and they're really here to make an impact.

00:20:30:21 - 00:20:34:02So I think, you know, the continuous learning goes from both sides.

00:20:34:02 - 00:20:37:15From the intern perspective, I think

00:20:37:17 - 00:20:41:05we see so many interns, almost all of them that we see

00:20:41:05 - 00:20:45:11already come in with just a hunger to learn and absorb so much.

00:20:45:11 - 00:20:49:20I think you're you're lucky with that demographic of people and interns

00:20:49:20 - 00:20:53:08because they just naturally are here to learn as much as they can.

00:20:53:13 - 00:20:54:24They're excited to learn and they're excited

00:20:54:24 - 00:20:57:14to grow in their career and they want to do whatever they can.

00:20:57:14 - 00:20:59:23You know, again, I think part of it

00:20:59:23 - 00:21:03:14even can go back to their job description or job expectations of

00:21:03:18 - 00:21:06:14what is your professional development, How are you going to learn this?

00:21:06:14 - 00:21:08:07And even having maybe

00:21:08:07 - 00:21:13:24an individual development plan for them and learn it, you know, part of it being a

00:21:14:01 - 00:21:17:08an opportunity for them to learn industry standards, maybe some job shadow,

00:21:17:08 - 00:21:18:09some of that type of stuff.

00:21:18:09 - 00:21:21:16But then also some of those are skills that they can take no matter what role

00:21:21:16 - 00:21:23:21they have in their career

00:21:23:23 - 00:21:24:22communication.

00:21:24:22 - 00:21:28:06You know, all those leadership skills change management, all of that is all

00:21:28:08 - 00:21:32:02good and things that they can put on their resume.

00:21:32:04 - 00:21:36:14I also recommend talking about it in your one on one conversations with managers.

00:21:36:14 - 00:21:39:14And it doesn't have to be every single day.

00:21:39:14 - 00:21:42:16But I think, you know, when I was an intern again, this is a while ago,

00:21:42:21 - 00:21:46:19but I think you're doing projects that might feel mundane to you

00:21:46:21 - 00:21:50:16and you don't necessarily even realize the impact that you're having.

00:21:50:18 - 00:21:55:12And like I remember when I was talking to one of my managers in

00:21:55:14 - 00:22:00:10a previous internship and they were like, my gosh, like you did a great job

00:22:00:12 - 00:22:04:08with this project management, like project management to your skill set

00:22:04:08 - 00:22:07:02and add that to your resume. And I was like, Project management.

00:22:07:02 - 00:22:10:14Like, all I did was schedule some meetings and take some notes or whatever,

00:22:10:16 - 00:22:12:07and they were like, No, you did way more than that.

00:22:12:07 - 00:22:16:10But even just being able to explain the impact that the interns are having,

00:22:16:10 - 00:22:19:05and I feel like I don't know if you can speak on experience,

00:22:19:05 - 00:22:22:23but I feel like interns don't always realize, like they just feel like

00:22:22:23 - 00:22:24:24they're doing a small project and then it's like,

00:22:24:24 - 00:22:28:10No, this was actually huge and this is what I did and X, Y and Z,

00:22:28:10 - 00:22:30:13and these are the skills that you learn from it.

00:22:30:13 - 00:22:33:00So we can talk about feedback in a minute.

00:22:33:00 - 00:22:36:12But as far as you know, having those conversations and helping

00:22:36:12 - 00:22:40:08them understand what they've done and the skills they have is huge.

00:22:40:10 - 00:22:42:09Yeah, I going off of that.

00:22:42:09 - 00:22:48:15I was recently reading an article, a LinkedIn article on 2024

00:22:48:17 - 00:22:52:21internship trends, and one of them was

00:22:52:23 - 00:22:58:03something like Prioritize skill development over traditional work.

00:22:58:05 - 00:23:02:18And I think we've emphasized that a lot here on the skill development.

00:23:02:18 - 00:23:05:24And it doesn't mean interns can't do traditional work

00:23:05:24 - 00:23:11:00like the hands on kind of mundane stuff like you were saying.

00:23:11:02 - 00:23:14:13But it's really like talking about what skills they're developing

00:23:14:13 - 00:23:19:17and what skills you as an employer want them to develop so that they succeed

00:23:19:17 - 00:23:23:07in an internship and kind of growing into their career path.

00:23:23:07 - 00:23:26:20So just kind of goes to show the importance.

00:23:26:20 - 00:23:29:01It's on 2024 internship trends.

00:23:29:01 - 00:23:32:13So yeah, if I were to ask skill development

00:23:32:13 - 00:23:35:23in your interns, for sure.

00:23:36:00 - 00:23:38:10So kind of going off,

00:23:38:10 - 00:23:43:05I know you said that interns are usually they have that hunger

00:23:43:05 - 00:23:47:05to develop new skills and to do great work.

00:23:47:07 - 00:23:49:22What other qualities and skills

00:23:49:22 - 00:23:53:11should leaders really help develop in their interns?

00:23:53:13 - 00:23:57:22Yeah, you know, I think now that this is necessarily a skill,

00:23:57:22 - 00:24:03:07but helping them understand, even just like workplace one on one and

00:24:03:09 - 00:24:05:20terminology and just like

00:24:05:20 - 00:24:09:02business lines, I just, I think sometimes we all are like,

00:24:09:06 - 00:24:10:11yeah, we all know what this means,

00:24:10:11 - 00:24:14:05like end of day and the business day, even just things like that.

00:24:14:07 - 00:24:19:08But as far as skills, we've seen a lot of emphasis

00:24:19:08 - 00:24:23:13on communication and I think that goes just beyond interns as well.

00:24:23:13 - 00:24:27:21In a hybrid remote workplace where people are working in different time

00:24:27:21 - 00:24:30:21zones and all of that, I think communicate and even just different generations.

00:24:30:21 - 00:24:35:04We've seen a lot of conversation about what does good communication look like.

00:24:35:04 - 00:24:37:19And so I think that's a big one.

00:24:37:19 - 00:24:42:03I think bringing ideas to management is a big one.

00:24:42:05 - 00:24:45:08I think interns have a lot of great ideas,

00:24:45:08 - 00:24:49:19and I think what we've seen over the years as interns

00:24:49:21 - 00:24:52:22are finding the balance of I'm trying to make an impact

00:24:52:22 - 00:24:56:06and a name for myself and showing the great ideas I have.

00:24:56:08 - 00:24:59:18But also I don't want to overstep and talk in meetings,

00:24:59:23 - 00:25:03:02you know, that I was invited to to listen and learn

00:25:03:02 - 00:25:06:06and like, where am I allowed to speak up and where am I not?

00:25:06:06 - 00:25:09:18Or and whether they call it imposter syndrome, where you're like,

00:25:09:18 - 00:25:12:02I don't know if my idea is good enough and am I really willing

00:25:12:02 - 00:25:13:24to speak up in front of a whole group of people?

00:25:13:24 - 00:25:17:21And so I think kind of helping balance and navigate some of that stuff

00:25:17:21 - 00:25:22:08and helping build some of that confidence is huge for them.

00:25:22:14 - 00:25:27:01We've seen an emphasis on problem solving project management.

00:25:27:01 - 00:25:29:20Some of that

00:25:29:22 - 00:25:30:24is really big too.

00:25:30:24 - 00:25:36:20So I think all of the skills that you're developing in your employees and

00:25:36:22 - 00:25:40:22your leaders, I think that really they're just trying to learn and grow.

00:25:40:24 - 00:25:45:21So however you can help them in that way and really understand what they're good at

00:25:45:21 - 00:25:46:15and what other skills

00:25:46:15 - 00:25:50:20they need to continue to develop is just a conversation worth having.

00:25:50:20 - 00:25:53:04And the ones that interns are really open to.

00:25:53:04 - 00:25:57:24And they I mean, I think we see this in all shapes of business, of people.

00:25:57:24 - 00:26:01:01People like to learn about themselves and talk about their experiences

00:26:01:01 - 00:26:05:19and whatever you can do to help them learn and grow is a big piece of it.

00:26:05:21 - 00:26:07:05Absolutely.

00:26:07:05 - 00:26:12:16And for interns, I would always go back to that quote,

00:26:12:18 - 00:26:16:03higher character train skill.

00:26:16:05 - 00:26:20:05Just I don't know, I think it's a good reminder that

00:26:20:07 - 00:26:25:17when you're hiring an intern, they might not have all of the skills that

00:26:25:19 - 00:26:28:12you may want them to have at the end of the internship, or

00:26:28:12 - 00:26:34:18they might not have all of the knowledge coming into it because it probably is

00:26:34:20 - 00:26:38:05one of their first really

00:26:38:07 - 00:26:39:18first jobs.

00:26:39:18 - 00:26:42:23So I think that code, your character

00:26:43:00 - 00:26:47:04train for Skill, is just always a good reminder too,

00:26:47:06 - 00:26:51:12because you can train for skill and so like that.

00:26:51:14 - 00:26:54:14So going on here, in what ways does

00:26:54:15 - 00:26:58:12your organization support interns in building professional networks

00:26:58:12 - 00:27:03:15and how does really networking contribute to development as emerging leaders?

00:27:03:17 - 00:27:05:12Networking is huge.

00:27:05:12 - 00:27:05:24Yeah.

00:27:05:24 - 00:27:07:11I mean, I think there's a lot of ways

00:27:07:11 - 00:27:11:19that organizations can support  professional development for interns.

00:27:11:19 - 00:27:12:00You know,

00:27:12:00 - 00:27:15:22I think there is the traditional trainings in the classroom that can be done.

00:27:15:22 - 00:27:21:08There's a lot of great modules online that companies can use, you know,

00:27:21:09 - 00:27:23:01LinkedIn, Learning's, all of that great stuff.

00:27:23:01 - 00:27:24:16Of course, memory has training as well.

00:27:24:16 - 00:27:28:14But I also think, you know, when I look back

00:27:28:14 - 00:27:31:14at my professional development and my growth over my career,

00:27:31:20 - 00:27:35:17I think a lot of the most influential pieces that have helped me grow

00:27:35:19 - 00:27:40:06are being part of organizational projects, working with cross-functional teams,

00:27:40:06 - 00:27:44:00working with people that are different than myself and think differently.

00:27:44:00 - 00:27:47:20And then eventually growing into leading some of those projects.

00:27:47:20 - 00:27:52:06So what what projects can interns lead that maybe, maybe they

00:27:52:06 - 00:27:54:24not on your to do list for a while and you just haven't gotten to it.

00:27:54:24 - 00:28:00:01So any start with anything that they do is better than not doing it at all.

00:28:00:03 - 00:28:05:05So I think some of that project work, job shadowing,

00:28:05:07 - 00:28:09:18being able to just network and learn from other professionals is huge.

00:28:09:18 - 00:28:14:19We offer an intern leadership program at Emory for our members

00:28:14:19 - 00:28:20:02and we really focus on that professional development and networking because it

00:28:20:04 - 00:28:23:17it really helps them learn from other people,

00:28:23:17 - 00:28:27:12learn about different industries, learn about business as a whole, and learn

00:28:27:12 - 00:28:32:01with other learn from other leaders around the entire country.

00:28:32:01 - 00:28:35:07And just I think for the interns, some of their biggest takeaways

00:28:35:07 - 00:28:40:08is just hearing the journey that leaders have gone on to get to where they are.

00:28:40:08 - 00:28:48:01And I think by the end of the summer, they truly realized that most leadership,

00:28:48:03 - 00:28:50:17I guess, journeys are not linear.

00:28:50:17 - 00:28:53:10It's not it's not a ladder. You don't just go straight up.

00:28:53:10 - 00:28:56:10But there's a lot of you know, I think it's so funny

00:28:56:10 - 00:28:59:10when we do the CEO panels, it's like half of them

00:28:59:16 - 00:29:04:07started in a completely different field or industry than where they got to today.

00:29:04:07 - 00:29:06:10And I think that's really promising for interns.

00:29:06:10 - 00:29:09:10And I think it just really helps them relate and see

00:29:09:15 - 00:29:11:24almost inspire them as well.

00:29:11:24 - 00:29:14:24Yeah, I think just going off the networking pieces,

00:29:15:03 - 00:29:17:02when people network correctly,

00:29:17:02 - 00:29:20:22they really get further in their career.

00:29:20:24 - 00:29:22:20And again, it's that inspiration.

00:29:22:20 - 00:29:24:17But then what are you doing to make that impression

00:29:24:17 - 00:29:29:24after and connect with them and our burgeoning team earlier today?

00:29:29:24 - 00:29:34:00And they always say they're like most people, after your first job,

00:29:34:00 - 00:29:35:24you're going to get most of your jobs after that.

00:29:35:24 - 00:29:38:16By who you know and who you've networked with.

00:29:38:16 - 00:29:39:24And, you know,

00:29:39:24 - 00:29:43:05we do stuff during our internship program to help them, you know,

00:29:43:05 - 00:29:46:17just even build up their LinkedIn resume, their LinkedIn profile, I'm sorry.

00:29:46:20 - 00:29:50:13And just so they can connect with people that they meet throughout the summer.

00:29:50:13 - 00:29:53:15And, you know, and ten years from now, it might be like, my gosh.

00:29:53:15 - 00:29:58:11So if you bowlers connect into this person, like, how can I reach out?

00:29:58:11 - 00:30:02:01So it's just it's just crazy how how small of a world it is.

00:30:02:01 - 00:30:06:21So I think the professional development and networking is huge for interns

00:30:06:21 - 00:30:10:14and I think any audience that HR And the hiring managers

00:30:10:14 - 00:30:14:23can do to help them with that is is super appreciated by the interns,

00:30:14:23 - 00:30:18:00especially with the mentorship more

00:30:18:00 - 00:30:21:08so than ever, especially in a hybrid world.

00:30:21:10 - 00:30:24:21We hear from interns asking how do i find a mentor

00:30:24:23 - 00:30:29:13that can help me grow and, you know, say my name in a room full of opportunities.

00:30:29:13 - 00:30:33:06And I always love that quote about mentors, but that's not necessarily

00:30:33:06 - 00:30:34:09always your manager.

00:30:34:09 - 00:30:38:05And in such a short period of time, how do I get an actual mentor

00:30:38:05 - 00:30:40:16that can see my skill set and help me grow in my career?

00:30:40:16 - 00:30:44:09And I think just networking is a piece of it.

00:30:44:11 - 00:30:45:05Absolutely.

00:30:45:05 - 00:30:49:04And you talked about our MRA's intern leadership program

00:30:49:04 - 00:30:53:04and being able to network with leaders and ceos.

00:30:53:04 - 00:30:57:09HR Professionals and young professionals too.

00:30:57:11 - 00:31:00:16But also coming from an intern perspective,

00:31:00:18 - 00:31:03:17that program is so beneficial in the way

00:31:03:17 - 00:31:06:17that you're also networking with

00:31:06:18 - 00:31:13:0080 to over 100 other interns who are practically in the same boat as you.

00:31:13:00 - 00:31:18:06So that just that's a whole other benefit that we could talk about

00:31:18:06 - 00:31:22:23for an hour having 82

00:31:22:23 - 00:31:26:13over 100 people that you can talk to every day,

00:31:26:13 - 00:31:31:16kind of see what they're going through, ask them questions

00:31:31:18 - 00:31:32:18and they can.

00:31:32:18 - 00:31:35:13I know I'm so connected with interns

00:31:35:13 - 00:31:38:21from a couple of years ago, and I don't know.

00:31:38:21 - 00:31:43:01I've really appreciated that from the intern program.

00:31:43:03 - 00:31:43:21Yeah, because

00:31:43:21 - 00:31:47:00networking connections, even for my internships too.

00:31:47:00 - 00:31:52:04It's yeah, I still talk to some of them, the friendships and future,

00:31:52:06 - 00:31:54:22maybe even colleagues again, and networking connections.

00:31:54:22 - 00:32:00:03Yeah, Well, and it's just interesting to see what they're up to because

00:32:00:05 - 00:32:03:13you might have two completely different roles at different organizations.

00:32:03:13 - 00:32:05:19But it's interesting to be like, Hey, what are you doing this week?

00:32:05:19 - 00:32:07:12What are you working on this week?

00:32:07:12 - 00:32:09:00that's cool. I'm working on that.

00:32:09:00 - 00:32:11:20So you can kind of connect that way too, which is awesome.

00:32:11:20 - 00:32:14:02Even just brand awareness from company to company.

00:32:14:02 - 00:32:16:21Yeah, definitely.

00:32:16:21 - 00:32:19:13And we talked a little bit about mentorships,

00:32:19:13 - 00:32:24:13but is there any other mentor kind of pieces of advice that you want

00:32:24:13 - 00:32:31:00to give in how that kind of ropes into the success of an internship program?

00:32:31:02 - 00:32:34:04Yeah, I think just really highlighting

00:32:34:06 - 00:32:38:11that mentorship, that question about how you can find a mentor

00:32:38:11 - 00:32:40:05that's right for you and how to find a mentor

00:32:40:05 - 00:32:44:09that's not your manager at your company during an internship came up so many times

00:32:44:09 - 00:32:45:05last year.

00:32:45:05 - 00:32:50:24So if you can go in to an internship program, say to the intern or interns,

00:32:51:01 - 00:32:53:23we have a dedicated mentor to you.

00:32:53:23 - 00:32:55:23I think that will be huge.

00:32:55:23 - 00:32:59:21And I think even part of it again goes up with the manager,

00:32:59:23 - 00:33:03:03you know, having the tools to be successful until you this intern,

00:33:03:09 - 00:33:04:18I think same with the mentors.

00:33:04:18 - 00:33:06:12If you can provide them with

00:33:06:12 - 00:33:10:10maybe some training and some guidance and maybe even like a coaching certificate

00:33:10:10 - 00:33:14:20or what their expectations are and how they can help interns.

00:33:14:20 - 00:33:16:06I think

00:33:16:08 - 00:33:19:08having that common

00:33:19:08 - 00:33:22:06playing ground, I guess for mentors would be huge

00:33:22:06 - 00:33:24:23and they can really help the interns be successful.

00:33:24:23 - 00:33:27:24And I think that's just another really close networking connection

00:33:27:24 - 00:33:31:08that the interns will walk away with throughout the summer.

00:33:31:08 - 00:33:36:15So but I would also be strategic and you know who you choose as a mentor.

00:33:36:17 - 00:33:39:18But we have seen some companies that have used some emerging leaders

00:33:39:18 - 00:33:43:12and some young professionals that are looking to grow their leadership skills

00:33:43:14 - 00:33:46:10who maybe aren't quite ready to be a supervisor or manager yet.

00:33:46:10 - 00:33:51:12But this is a great way to kind of mentor and coach and grow your own skills.

00:33:51:12 - 00:33:55:24So just think about that with your own emerging leaders within your organization

00:33:56:01 - 00:33:57:04for sure.

00:33:57:04 - 00:34:00:12Well, do you have any examples of talking

00:34:00:12 - 00:34:04:21about more projects and more hands on work now?

00:34:04:23 - 00:34:07:13any examples of projects or initiatives

00:34:07:13 - 00:34:11:10that are designed to kind of challenge interns

00:34:11:10 - 00:34:15:05or any of those like structured projects that you would recommend

00:34:15:07 - 00:34:20:01giving to interns to let them showcase their leadership potential?

00:34:20:03 - 00:34:22:23Yeah, I honestly, I'd have to look at a list

00:34:22:23 - 00:34:25:18because I, I always every summer I'm like, Wow,

00:34:25:18 - 00:34:29:17that is such a great search project for interns and

00:34:29:19 - 00:34:31:20but I'll just share a couple off the top of my head.

00:34:31:20 - 00:34:36:23I think directly from the HR Perspective, those that have had HR Interns

00:34:36:23 - 00:34:42:11will do like exit interviews and they'll do

00:34:42:13 - 00:34:46:07like they'll develop a whole structured program about an intern program.

00:34:46:07 - 00:34:49:17They can even build out the mentorship program.

00:34:49:19 - 00:34:53:12And just generally speaking, I think look at your own to do list

00:34:53:12 - 00:34:56:12and see, like, what projects are like strategic initiatives.

00:34:56:15 - 00:34:59:12Have you been thinking about a know your team needs to get to

00:34:59:12 - 00:35:02:13that you really haven't had time for and let them run with it?

00:35:02:13 - 00:35:06:12Like I said, it's if it's just sitting on your desk, it's not going anywhere.

00:35:06:12 - 00:35:09:22So you at least have some momentum to keep it moving forward

00:35:09:22 - 00:35:14:14and having someone bring fresh ideas and perspectives to it.

00:35:14:16 - 00:35:15:00I saw

00:35:15:00 - 00:35:18:21one company that knew they needed to implement

00:35:18:21 - 00:35:22:22a strategy within their organization and there they were.

00:35:22:22 - 00:35:24:21They had a smaller internship program.

00:35:24:21 - 00:35:26:15I think they had four or five interns.

00:35:26:15 - 00:35:30:03I don't recall off the top of my head, but they had that group of interns work

00:35:30:03 - 00:35:34:05together to build a new strategy internally at their organization,

00:35:34:07 - 00:35:38:18including which included obviously some research, but also understanding

00:35:38:18 - 00:35:42:03like what an employee resource group looks like, how we get one started,

00:35:42:03 - 00:35:45:03who is going to lead that, what is the communication look like?

00:35:45:05 - 00:35:48:23And they built out a whole new program for their organization

00:35:49:00 - 00:35:52:01and then they presented it to their executive team.

00:35:52:01 - 00:35:55:04So all of their CEO and all their senior leadership

00:35:55:04 - 00:35:58:10and they were able to go forward and start to implement this.

00:35:58:10 - 00:36:01:06So just a huge

00:36:01:08 - 00:36:03:21kudos to them for doing that and running with that.

00:36:03:21 - 00:36:05:06That's not an easy task.

00:36:05:06 - 00:36:06:11And obviously they had guidance

00:36:06:11 - 00:36:10:07along the way, but I think that's a great project to show.

00:36:10:09 - 00:36:15:06And then actually had  there was one I'm picturing

00:36:15:06 - 00:36:19:06that they documented all of their standard operating procedures

00:36:19:08 - 00:36:23:14and then along the way they were asked to one, you have to document it,

00:36:23:14 - 00:36:27:09but then to come back with recommendations for efficiencies in the process

00:36:27:09 - 00:36:32:10and a lot of times even documenting it, that's really curious.

00:36:32:10 - 00:36:35:16Wanting to learn interns is asking why, like why do we do it this way

00:36:35:16 - 00:36:39:11and not in a negative way, but just like they were curious and then,

00:36:39:13 - 00:36:44:17you know, if you as a manager or whoever is doing the teaching,

00:36:44:19 - 00:36:48:20isn't able to answer that, why I think it's a good, you know, sign.

00:36:48:20 - 00:36:51:12Maybe we need to look at our process and think of some other way.

00:36:51:12 - 00:36:54:02And so I think even just being able to showcase

00:36:54:02 - 00:36:57:21the efficiencies that have been put on because of someone just documenting

00:36:57:21 - 00:37:01:07standard operating procedures is another really cool project.

00:37:01:07 - 00:37:03:02So those are a few off the top of my head.

00:37:03:02 - 00:37:07:02But again, I would take a look at your own task lesson and see

00:37:07:08 - 00:37:12:10what what you're hoping to get done and let them run with it.

00:37:12:12 - 00:37:15:00Yeah, and I think another

00:37:15:00 - 00:37:18:08great big project or kind of stretch project

00:37:18:08 - 00:37:23:01that any company can do at any internship too, would just be looking

00:37:23:01 - 00:37:26:06at your own company from an audit perspective,

00:37:26:07 - 00:37:29:07like auditing the website or doing an

00:37:29:07 - 00:37:32:13in the analysis of the website or for example,

00:37:32:13 - 00:37:35:19I know I did a competitive analysis when I was an intern,

00:37:35:19 - 00:37:40:02which was a big project, but it was, I think, a great opportunity

00:37:40:02 - 00:37:44:12and a good big project to work on throughout the summer too.

00:37:44:14 - 00:37:47:09Also gave me a chance to work with some great leaders

00:37:47:09 - 00:37:51:13and kind of show it off to our executive team to.

00:37:51:15 - 00:37:56:00So yeah, I would, I would say that that's an easy project,

00:37:56:00 - 00:37:59:19but it's something that all companies can do and something

00:37:59:19 - 00:38:05:07that can improve your website, improve your organization as a whole.

00:38:05:09 - 00:38:07:02So we talked

00:38:07:02 - 00:38:11:00about kind of performance management a little bit, but

00:38:11:02 - 00:38:15:06how do you what are some ways to assess the performance of interns

00:38:15:06 - 00:38:19:10during and at the end of the program

00:38:19:12 - 00:38:23:01and what mechanisms do you have in place for providing

00:38:23:01 - 00:38:27:09that constructive feedback to help them grow?

00:38:27:11 - 00:38:29:20Yeah, I think feedback is so important

00:38:29:20 - 00:38:33:13and that's something that we really hear from interns of.

00:38:33:15 - 00:38:39:00I think again, this goes to does your manager know how to manage interns?

00:38:39:00 - 00:38:43:14But feedback is something we hear and managers typically are like, well,

00:38:43:19 - 00:38:45:21if they're not hearing from me, they're doing a good job.

00:38:45:21 - 00:38:49:02And we have weekly check ins and, you know, we just kind of talk

00:38:49:02 - 00:38:51:18through their projects and any challenges they have.

00:38:51:18 - 00:38:57:06But I think interns want to know honestly, daily and speak to this

00:38:57:06 - 00:39:00:04from your own experience, what like are they on the right track?

00:39:00:04 - 00:39:03:20Are they doing a good job, really doing a bad job and tell them right away?

00:39:03:20 - 00:39:05:05I think,

00:39:05:07 - 00:39:07:19you know, people don't want to hear this, but I would honestly

00:39:07:19 - 00:39:10:19check in with your interns at least once a day, if not more than that.

00:39:10:24 - 00:39:14:13I think, you know, a week, a lot of things happen in a week.

00:39:14:13 - 00:39:15:21And especially,

00:39:15:21 - 00:39:19:11you know, if you look at like a ten week internship program that's like ten times

00:39:19:11 - 00:39:20:11you're meeting with your intern

00:39:20:11 - 00:39:22:13and think about how much they're doing in a day,

00:39:22:13 - 00:39:24:13how many people they're trying to interact with.

00:39:24:13 - 00:39:27:06We hear interns are

00:39:27:06 - 00:39:29:22not always, but sometimes they don't like to be bored.

00:39:29:22 - 00:39:35:03So if you're only meeting with them once a week, how are they feeling?

00:39:35:03 - 00:39:36:2340 hours of their work week?

00:39:36:23 - 00:39:41:24Are they truly busy and gaining knowledge and skills?

00:39:41:24 - 00:39:47:05Every all of the all of the week and having those great experiences. So

00:39:47:07 - 00:39:49:20I know managers sometimes are like,

00:39:49:20 - 00:39:52:20I don't want to tell them they're doing a good job for just doing their job,

00:39:53:01 - 00:39:55:14but I think if they're not hearing anything,

00:39:55:14 - 00:39:57:22they really just don't know where they stand.

00:39:57:22 - 00:40:00:18So I recommend talking to them every day.

00:40:00:18 - 00:40:01:17And I know.

00:40:01:17 - 00:40:05:21So my favorite example from you was like, Well, give me something negative.

00:40:05:21 - 00:40:09:07It's always so positive and it's like, Wow, you're doing a great job.

00:40:09:07 - 00:40:12:05And it's like, there's got to be something I can improve on.

00:40:12:05 - 00:40:14:03And you're not the only intern that has said that.

00:40:14:03 - 00:40:17:23And I completely agree that even though you are doing

00:40:17:23 - 00:40:22:18a great job, are there even skills that maybe like

00:40:22:20 - 00:40:25:18that aren't being shown in this project, but maybe in other projects

00:40:25:18 - 00:40:26:15that I could develop?

00:40:26:15 - 00:40:28:07So I think being very specific

00:40:28:07 - 00:40:31:14in that feedback and very intentional is very important.

00:40:31:16 - 00:40:32:10Absolutely.

00:40:32:10 - 00:40:35:18And to piggyback off that, I would say something

00:40:35:18 - 00:40:39:13that I love that you did when I was an intern.

00:40:39:15 - 00:40:43:05You mentioned interns don't like being bored and that's very true

00:40:43:05 - 00:40:45:15because that can make or break an internship.

00:40:45:15 - 00:40:48:21I think in what you did that really helped

00:40:48:21 - 00:40:53:07was checking in each day, like how was your workload going?

00:40:53:07 - 00:40:55:02Do you need some more projects?

00:40:55:02 - 00:40:57:03Do you want to sit in on this meeting?

00:40:57:03 - 00:41:01:05So it's like always giving me an opportunity to be doing something

00:41:01:05 - 00:41:02:19new each and every day.

00:41:02:19 - 00:41:06:12So I think, like you said, that communication with an intern

00:41:06:12 - 00:41:11:08is vital for an internship program to really succeed

00:41:11:10 - 00:41:18:10and to make sure that your intern is enjoying the work that they're doing

00:41:18:12 - 00:41:20:02and that they have an opportunity to,

00:41:20:02 - 00:41:23:21like, openly communicate, communicate that with their manager.

00:41:23:21 - 00:41:29:01If they aren't filling their 40 hours a week or have finished a project

00:41:29:01 - 00:41:33:12and don't know what to do after that, well, it also helps just reprioritize.

00:41:33:12 - 00:41:36:18I think I chuckle and this is not the best way to do it,

00:41:36:24 - 00:41:38:21but we gave you like five pages of projects

00:41:38:21 - 00:41:42:18that we want you to work on throughout the summer and I don't.

00:41:42:20 - 00:41:45:21And in the best way possible, I don't think I think you go through

00:41:45:21 - 00:41:48:21one page or whatever, because so many other things came up

00:41:48:22 - 00:41:53:03throughout the summer that it was kind of like if we came to you in the morning

00:41:53:03 - 00:41:56:20and we were like, Hey, we have this cool project, and you were like,

00:41:56:22 - 00:41:58:09but I'm working on X, Y and Z.

00:41:58:09 - 00:41:59:07We could be like,

00:41:59:07 - 00:42:03:12yeah, I finish, I X, don't worry about Y, and then Z can wait till next week.

00:42:03:14 - 00:42:04:22But it was able to have us

00:42:04:22 - 00:42:09:03give us a chance to really learn what you like if you new opportunities,

00:42:09:03 - 00:42:14:14but also just to prioritize who you aren't just taking on things without

00:42:14:16 - 00:42:15:00feeling

00:42:15:00 - 00:42:18:00like you had the bandwidth to do it all and be successful.

00:42:18:00 - 00:42:20:02Yeah, I'm definitely not.

00:42:20:02 - 00:42:22:20That will just give you another project management skill.

00:42:22:20 - 00:42:24:12All right, There you go.

00:42:24:12 - 00:42:29:19But just as we wrap up your career, any any lasting thoughts

00:42:29:19 - 00:42:30:15that you want to share?

00:42:30:15 - 00:42:33:10Actually, I'm going to turn it back to you.

00:42:33:10 - 00:42:35:09Just you know, you've been involved with the intern

00:42:35:09 - 00:42:39:03leadership program for a couple of years and you obviously were an intern and.

00:42:39:03 - 00:42:42:21You still talk with, you know, a couple of interns from previous years.

00:42:42:22 - 00:42:45:22So just anything anytime to you is here to employers

00:42:45:22 - 00:42:53:02or maybe even hiring managers about creating a great memorable experience?

00:42:53:04 - 00:42:58:15I would just say the big takeaway, I think just from today to

00:42:58:16 - 00:43:01:16is that an effective internship

00:43:01:20 - 00:43:05:09benefits both the intern and the organization.

00:43:05:10 - 00:43:08:19I think that's always something to just keep in the back of your head

00:43:08:19 - 00:43:12:11that don't just have an intern to have an intern.

00:43:12:11 - 00:43:16:12Like like bring us back to the first question there.

00:43:16:12 - 00:43:19:18The planning process and the planning stage.

00:43:19:20 - 00:43:23:02And of course, you can add on to this because you were part of that

00:43:23:02 - 00:43:23:24planning stage.

00:43:23:24 - 00:43:27:07But I think that is the most vital

00:43:27:09 - 00:43:32:22step in an internship program is making sure

00:43:32:24 - 00:43:35:23you kind of have your priorities and your goals

00:43:35:23 - 00:43:41:08and just the value of having an intern that you have that confidently set.

00:43:41:10 - 00:43:44:24Well, for an intern comes in and you're not trying to figure out

00:43:45:01 - 00:43:48:06an intern role while they're there.

00:43:48:08 - 00:43:52:09No, I think that's that is absolutely crucial.

00:43:52:09 - 00:43:55:09And I think now that this is like the most important takeaway, but

00:43:55:09 - 00:43:58:15something that hasn't been mentioned yet is really make sure

00:43:58:15 - 00:44:03:03that the interns and all of the candidates that you're interviewing

00:44:03:05 - 00:44:08:01feel like you matter and that you're part of the organization from the beginning.

00:44:08:01 - 00:44:11:24And I think I just remember when we were interviewing candidates

00:44:11:24 - 00:44:13:13from the beginning,

00:44:13:13 - 00:44:13:23you know,

00:44:13:23 - 00:44:17:05I think we always wanted to keep them in the loop of where they were

00:44:17:05 - 00:44:18:12in the hiring process.

00:44:18:12 - 00:44:21:05And I mean, I think we made a decision very quickly.

00:44:21:05 - 00:44:25:11And as soon as we made a decision, we we let everybody know.

00:44:25:11 - 00:44:30:08And, you know, I think even for those that we didn't end up hiring,

00:44:30:10 - 00:44:32:19we still wanted to have a great relationship with them

00:44:32:19 - 00:44:35:07because you never know with opportunities in the future.

00:44:35:07 - 00:44:37:20And we didn't want them to feel like, it's just an intern.

00:44:37:20 - 00:44:39:09We'll get back to them in a couple of weeks.

00:44:39:09 - 00:44:41:22And I think the

00:44:41:24 - 00:44:44:04for us, it was important that everyone knew

00:44:44:04 - 00:44:46:17that this is a critical role in our organization

00:44:46:17 - 00:44:49:05and they are going to make an impact and they're part of our team.

00:44:49:05 - 00:44:52:03So not necessarily that they're just an intern.

00:44:52:03 - 00:44:56:01And I think we tried to treat you like you were part of the team

00:44:56:05 - 00:44:59:04throughout the entire summer and beyond, and obviously you're part of our team now.

00:44:59:04 - 00:45:01:23So it all worked out definitely.

00:45:01:23 - 00:45:05:20And that was actually another 2024 internship

00:45:05:22 - 00:45:08:22trend that I read about was

00:45:09:00 - 00:45:12:21the importance of meaningful work in an internship

00:45:12:21 - 00:45:16:12and just ensuring that your interns

00:45:16:12 - 00:45:21:08can connect to your organization and to the work that they're doing.

00:45:21:08 - 00:45:24:10And it's not just you're doing work to do work.

00:45:24:10 - 00:45:29:19It's like you, your interns need to care about your organization's

00:45:29:19 - 00:45:36:10mission and values and their work's mission and values too. So

00:45:36:12 - 00:45:39:06to get my drop moment there,

00:45:39:06 - 00:45:40:24I love it all.

00:45:40:24 - 00:45:45:01Courtney, thank you again for sharing your expertise with us today.

00:45:45:03 - 00:45:46:13And to our listeners,

00:45:46:13 - 00:45:51:07I would just encourage you to head to Emory net dot org to check out

00:45:51:09 - 00:45:55:17our Emory can help you recruit retain as well

00:45:55:17 - 00:45:59:17as enhance your internship programs if you have an existing one.

00:45:59:17 - 00:46:03:00And then also feel free to reach out to Courtney

00:46:03:00 - 00:46:07:11to choose our manager of our internship leadership program.

00:46:07:11 - 00:46:10:13So we'll include her

00:46:10:13 - 00:46:13:22email down below in her LinkedIn profile if you want to connect with her.

00:46:13:23 - 00:46:17:08But otherwise, I appreciate the chat.

00:46:17:08 - 00:46:17:23Courtney.

00:46:17:23 - 00:46:22:14Thanks again to our listeners and we'll see you next week.

00:46:22:16 - 00:46:23:13Thanks for having me.

00:46:23:13 - 00:46:26:04And that wraps up our content for this episode.

00:46:26:04 - 00:46:27:22Be sure to reference the show notes

00:46:27:22 - 00:46:30:23where you can sign in to connect for more podcast updates,

00:46:30:24 - 00:46:34:17check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform.

00:46:34:17 - 00:46:38:10And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE

00:46:38:14 - 00:46:40:20so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in

00:46:40:20 - 00:46:44:06and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.